Employers often spot staff drink problems

Jan 14 2008 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

The effects of problematic alcohol use cost Welsh businesses more than £2bn every year in absence and lowered performance.

Pen yr Enfys, a leading Cardiff-based charity, has now devised a support programme targeted specifically at employers

JANUARY, in stark contrast to December, is a long, cold dreary month, which is most commonly associated with a struggled return to work after the festive season and a general post-Christmas slump.

It is also the month when workers’ problems with alcohol misuse are most likely to come to the attention of their employers.

With a staggering one-in-13 people in Wales now showing signs of alcohol misuse, the problem is becoming increasingly widespread.

It is a common misconception that alcohol-related problems are first identified by close friends or family members. In reality, it is often an employer who uncovers the issue when a staff member’s performance begins to slip and they become less enthusiastic and less responsive in the workplace.

Steve James, corporate director at one of Cardiff’s longest- established problem alcohol and substance-use charities, Pen yr Enfys, part of the Seren Group, said there are ways in which employers can spot such problems among their own staff and also means of helping them.

“The trouble with alcohol dependency is that it affects each person differently so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the symptoms will be,” he said. “One thing is sure, as the problem continues, it will start to affect a person’s work sooner or later.

“Last year in Wales there was a 40% increase in the number of people suffering from alcohol- related illnesses, with more than 15,415 people receiving some form of treatment.

“It is becoming more and more important that employers learn to see the warning signs early and be prepared to handle the problem in an appropriate way.”

Pen yr Enfys has been helping people with alcohol and substance abuse problems since the 1960s, but with such problems increasingly resulting in a negative effect on a person’s professional career, the charity recently launched a service specifically targeted at employers.

The assessment and intervention service is the only service in Wales exclusively for organisations and companies working outside the field of alcohol and drug misuse and aims to equip them with the necessary skills not only to deal with a situation but also to detect any warning signs.

Steve said, “We run two types of course designed to help employers at our centre. The first is an awareness course aimed at both managers and staff and is designed to take a general approach to the subject and teach participants about the detrimental effects of alcohol misuse…

“There is also an element that encourages staff to be vigilant in spotting any behavioural changes among their colleagues which may point to an alcohol-related issue.

“Something that often shocks many of the people attending the awareness courses is that alcohol adversely affects every organ in the body, not just the liver, as is more commonly thought. Damage to the heart muscles and pancreas as well as dementia, depression and nutritional disease are all symptoms of an excessive alcohol intake.

“The awareness course, targeted exclusively at senior managers, is designed to ensure employers are trained to recognise potential problems with alcohol in relation to their own staff. We teach employers about the common signs, including high levels of sickness, poor timekeeping, lack of concentration and anxiety.

“There are also physical side effects such as bad skin, bloodshot eyes and withdrawal symptoms such as shaking and excessive sweating.

“This course also looks at employer protection in the sense that it is important to formulate an appropriate company policy on this issue to safeguard both the employee and the employer should a situation arise.”

Pen yr Enfys also offers intervention services to employers who have identified an alcohol-related issue with a member of staff. The intervention service offers assessment and counselling to help individuals overcome their problems and make a speedy return to work.

But Steve said that before the intervention process can begin, the individual usually needs first to accept there’s a problem.

“Probably the most difficult challenge with someone whose alcohol intake has become problematic is helping them acknowledge that they are drinking an unhealthy amount,” he said. “In most cases, the individual is the last person to accept this.”

As the business services arm of Pen yr Enfys is effectively run as a private operation, the charity is able to commence the intervention programme as soon as it is contacted by an employer, to avoid any time for a relapse or change of heart by the employee.

The first step is always an assessment, which involves the employee meeting on a one-to-one basis with a trained counsellor at Pen yr Enfys to identify formally that there is a problem. Once confirmed, the person will enter into counselling sessions, which in some cases will also involve the employer.

Steve said, “The amount of counselling and treatment a person will require differs with every case. We treat some people who require very few sessions before they are on top of the problem and able to return to work as normal. With others it is a longer process that involves not only one-to-one counselling but also group sessions and, on occasion, the involvement of a medical professional.

“It is vital that we treat each case on an individual basis as each person is different and will deal with problems in their own way and it is inevitable that while some of the people we treat will recover completely, others will relapse and require further treatment somewhere down the line.”

One of Pen yr Enfys’s recent cases involved a woman employed by a large Welsh organisation. When her employers began to notice that she wasn’t performing to her usual standards they contacted the charity for advice.

The charity advised that while they could offer help and support, the employer must first raise their concerns with the employee. Once the issue had been discussed with the employee and it was accepted that there may be a requirement for some outside help, she attended an initial assessment session at Pen yr Enfys.

Following several counselling sessions she is now back at work having resolved her issues. It was thanks to the early warning signs and the vigilance of the employer that this case was brought to light in its early stages which led to the problem being treated quickly and effectively before it spiralled out of control.

Pen yr Enfys is part of Newport-based Seren Group which provides housing support and other services